Article feeding device



Jan? 1954 c. E. M COY ETAL ARTICLE FEEDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 29, 1951 93 2 45 1 @217 4. m F m a? QHIW a 2 6 r lo I,

mYH

wOG

IC cR MW EL 8 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 19 1954 ARTICLE FEEDING DEVICE Clarence E. McCoy, Clarendon Hills, and Ben L.

Wright, Chicago, Ill., assignors -to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 29, 1951, Serial No. 253,722

This invention relates to a device for feeding articles and more particularly to a gravity feed device for successively releasing and feeding the lowermost one of a column of articles into a bore in a hollow article.

' 7 It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective and eflicient feed device of simple construction for feeding articles one at a time to a predetermined position. i

' It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and effective device to feed the lowermost one of a column of parts into a hollow member and to align the member with the part during the feeding thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vertically disposed feed tube into the bore of which a supply of cylindrical carbon blocks is placed for movement therethrough by gravity. The lower end of the feed tube is slotted to provide a plurality of flexible gripping fingers forming a collet having an annular sloping shoulder against which a spring pressed actuating sleeve acts to close the collet'into gripping engagement with the carbon block positioned in the lower end of the feed tube. The feed tube is movable to and from an upper position and a lower position in the latter of which the lower tapered end of the collet on the feed tube extends into a hollow porcelain block to center the porcelain block and align the carbon blocks with the aperture therein. The actuating sleeve engages astop at a predetermined point during the downward movement of the collet to permit the collet toopen and release its grip on the lowermost carbon block and allow the column of carbon blocks to move downwardly by gravity and to guide the lowermost carbon block" into the porcelain block as the feed tube continues its down- "ward movement. The collet remains open during the'firstportion of the upward movement "of the feed tube until the end of 'the'collet is raised above the lowermost carbon block after which the actuating sleeve serves to close the collet on the carbon block above the one inserted in the porcelain block and carry it and the column of blocks supported thereon upwardly a predetermined distance to permit the removal of the loaded holder from under the feed tube and the alignment of an unloaded holder thereunder. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description thereof when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which i 3 Claims. (01. 2 9-211) Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the feed device and the actuating mechanism therefor;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged fragmentary views of thefeeding device showing parts thereof in changed positions; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the parts being assembled in the present feed device.

, The present feeding device II! is designed t feed articles !2 in the form of short carbon rods or blocks of cylindrical shape. into a bore [4 in the bottom wall of a hollow cylindrical porcelain block 16. The procelain blocks I6 are supported in the upper recessed ends of holders 18 mounted in spaced relation to each other on a feed table 29 which is periodically indexed to position successive holders l 8 and porcelain blocks l6 therein at a. loading station below and in vertical alignment with the feeding device.

The feeding device It comprises a vertically disposed feed tube 25 having a cylindrical bore endof a rod 3i which is slidably mounted in a bearing bracket 32 which in turn is fixed to a table or frame member 33. A cam roller 34 on the lower end of the rod 3| engages a cam 35 securedto a shaft 36 which is rotated by mechanism (not shown) which also indexes the feed table 20 in timed relation therewith. Thus, the cam 35 serves to, elevate the feed tube 25 and a spring 31 on the rod 3| serves to move the feed tube 25 downwardly in cooperation with the cam.

The lower portion of the tube 25 islongitudinally slit to provide a plurality of flexible fingers 40 forming a collet which has an annular sloping cam surface 4i and a tapering end surface 42. A collet actuating sleeve 46 is telescopingly mounted on the collet for movement therewith and axial movement relative thereto and has an outer cylindrical surface which is slidably mounted in a cylindrical bore 49 in a cylindrical guide member ec. The cylindrical guide member 56 is exteriorly threaded and adjustably secured in a threaded aperture in an arm'5l fixed to the upper end of the bearing bracket 32. 1 A helical compression spring 53 is interposed be-' tween the upper endof the collet actuating sleeve 3 45 and an exteriorly threaded collar 54 adjustably secured in the threaded enlarged upper portion of the bore 49 of the guide member 50. The spring 53 urges the actuating sleeve 46 downwardly into engagement with the cam surfaces 4| to close the collet into gripping engagement with a carbon block 12 positioned in the lower end of the feed tube 25. The collet actuating sleeve 4'5 is movable with the collet through a predetermined limited distance, its movement downwardly being arrested by the engagement of a shoulder 56 on the sleeve with a shoulder 51 on the guide member 50. A threaded rod 58 adjustably mounted on the arm 30 is engageable with the stationary arm 5| to limit the downward movement of the feed tube to a predetermined position.

With the feed tube 25 filled with a column of cylindrical carbon blocks I2 which are supplied thereto from the gravity feed tube 21 into which the carbon blocks may be placed by any suitable means, and with thefeeding device in its upper position as shown in Fig. the spring fingers of the collet are compressed into gripping engagement with the'lowermost carbon block l2 by the downward pressure of the spring stressed actuating sleeve 45 to support the column of carbon blocks within the feed tube 25 and the tube 21. With a holder 18 and a porcelain block it at the loading station below and in axial alignment with the feed tube 25 and in response to the rotation of the cam 35, the feed tube 25 is moved downwardly, carrying with it the actuating sleeve 68 and the column of carbon blocks [2. At a predetermined point in the downward movement of the feed tube 25 the movement of the actuating sleeve 56 is arrested by the engagement of the shoulders 56 and 5? and further downward movement of the feed tube 25 causes the collet 45 to open and release its gripping engagement with the lowermost carbon block and permit the column of carbon blocks l2 to drop by gravity.

After the cam surface 4| on the collet moves away from the end of the actuating sleeve 46 to cause the collet to be actuated to its open position, the feed tube 25 continues its movement downwardly to its lower position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the lower end of the collet is positioned within the hollow porcelain block is and the tapered surfaces 42 on the collet engage the inner upper edge ofthe porcelain block and align the block.- l6 with the feed tube 25 and the blocks l2 therein to guide the lowermost carbon block I 2 into the aperture 14 of the block it. The downward movement of the column of blocks I2- is arrested when the lowermost carbon block is properly positioned within the aperture 14 of the porcelain block 16 and engages the bottom surface of the recess 60 in the holder 18 as shown in Fig. 2. 7

As the feed tube 25 is moved upwardly the jaws of the collet 4H, remain open until they have moved above the top portion of the lowermost tinued movement of the feed tube 25 to its upper position carries th column of blocks i2 therewith and causes a separation between the lowermost and the next adjacent block thereto as in.- dicated in Fig. .1 to, permit indexing movement 4 of the feed table 20 and, the initiation of another feeding cycle.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the Spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for feeding articles onto parts movable into a predetermined position at a loading station comprising a vertically disposed feed tube for guiding a plurality of articles for movement therethrough by gravity and having a plurality of flexible fingers forming a collet at the lower end thereof said fingers having cam surfaces thereon, stationary guide means for supporting said feed tube for vertical movement above and in alignment with said loading station, a collet actuating sleeve slidably mounted on said colle and engageable with said cam surfaces, resilient means stressing said sleeve for movement in one direction to actuate said fingers into gripping engagement with an article positioned in the end of said feed tube to support a column of articles in said feed tube, means for reciprocating said feed tube to and from a lower position in a predetermined spaced relation to a part in said loading station, a stop member engageable with Said actuating sleeve, and means for adiu tab y supp r -ins sa d st p member n said stationary guide means at a predetermined position for stopping the downward movement of said actu t n s ee e. t a pre ermined po prior to the end of the movement of the feed tube to its lower position to effect the release nd mo ement of id c mn of; a ic and the movement of the lowermost article from the feed tube and into engagement with said part d. t eff c the a uat f sa coll t p one of the articles above the lowermost article an aise it n e c lumn of ar l s s p rt d thereby as the iced tu e is moved from its lower position.

2. A device for feeding cylindrical articles into elements having apertures therein of various diameters comprising a vertically disposed feed tube for guiding a plurality of said articles for movement therethrough by gravity, said feed tu e havin a lu ali of x le in er pr vided with earn surfaces and conical guide surfa es h reon t f m a coll t, having a t er d end portion, a collet actuating sleeve slidably mounted on said cellet for movement therewith and engageable with said cam surfaces, resilient means stressing said sleeve for movement in one direction to actuate said collet to a closed position into gripping engagement with an article positioned in the end of said collet to support a column Qf articles in said feed tube, a holder for supporting one of said apertured elements in a predetermined position below said feed, tube, means for reciprocating said feed tube to and from a lower position in predetermined relation to said holder to cause the tapered end of said t t; to en ag th em t. in t nlar d p rtion of the aperture therein and. align the element with the. feed tube andto guide the article into the reduced portion of the aperture, and means for stopping said actuating sleeve at a the actuation of said col-let'- to open position to effect the release and the movement of said column of articles into engagement with said holder, said collet being actuated to a closed position during its movement away from said holder to grip an article above the article positioned in said element and to raise said gripped article and the column of articles supported thereby.

3. In an apparatus having a plurality of ho1d-' ers indexible to a loading station for supporting elements having recesses therein of various diameters, the combination therewith of a vertically disposed feed tube for guiding a plurality of articles for movement therethrough by gravity, stationary means for guiding said feed tube for vertical movement toward and away from a holder at said loading station, means operable in timed relation to the indexing of said holder for reciprocating said feed tube to and from a lower position in a predetermined spaced relation to said holder, said feed tube having a tapered lower end operable in said lower position of the feed tube to engage the element in the enlarged portion of theaperture therein to align the element with the feed tube and guide the article into the reduced portion of the aperture in the element, a plurality of flexible fingers associated with said feed tube and forming a portion thereof, said flexible fingers forming a collet having cam surfaces thereon, a collet actuatingmember mounted on said collet for movement therewith and engageable with the cam surfaces, resilient means stressing said actuat-v ing member for movement in one direction to actuate said collet to a closed position into gripping engagement with an article in said feed tube to support a column of articles therein, and means for stopping said actuating sleeve at a predetermined position during the movement of said feed tube toward said holder to cause the actuation of said collet to open position to effect the release and movement of said column of articles toward said holder, said collet being actuated to a closed position during its movement away from said holder togrip one of said articles above the article inserted in said element and to raise said gripped article and the column of articles supported thereby.

CLARENCE E. MCCOY. BEN L. WRIGHT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

